Gulf of Mexico Loop Current Rutgers University墨西哥环电流罗格斯大学湾.pptVIP

Tom Collow Physical Oceanography December 1, 2010 The Gulf of Mexico Loop current is an ocean current that transports warm water from the Caribbean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico. The current brings the warm water through the Florida Straits and to the west of the Bahamas, where it begins to flow north and connect with the Gulf Stream. The loop current is typically 200-300 km. wide, 800 m. deep, and travels at a speed of 0.8 m/s making it one of the fastest currents in the Atlantic Ocean. Transport (T) = 250,000 m * 800 m * 0.8 m/s = 160 million m3/s Periodically, the current bulges northward i